Court Tells Farmer To Get Rid Of 300,000 Tires

BISMARK, N.D. (CN) – The North Dakota Supreme Court ordered a farmer to remove about 300,000 tires from his property because they presented a fire hazard, and attracted mosquitos and rodents.

Cory Christofferson paid about $1 per tire and used them to build fences and windbreaks on his farm in Benson County. He claimed that because he recycled the tires, he is putting them to “beneficial use” under the Solid Waste Management Rules. The health department sought an order in 2004 forcing Christofferson to ditch the tires, and an administrative law judge determined that the plaintiff’s projects did not fall within the “beneficial use” exception. The high court affirmed. See ruling.